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STORY: Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico was in a "very serious" but stable condition after surgery on Thursday (May 16), a hospital official reported.

He was shot five times on Wednesday (May 15) in the first major assassination attempt on a European leader in more than 20 years.

A local news website on Thursday said police had charged a suspect with attempted murder and that he could face life imprisonment.

Fico was greeting supporters in the central Slovak town of Handlova when he was shot from point blank range.

Local journalist Dana Reindlova was reporting at the scene.

"At first, we thought someone had thrown some small firecrackers in the square. In that first moment, we didn't quite understand what was happening because we live - thank God - till now we were living in a country where we couldn't even imagine someone shooting at a politician in a square. So the shock came only afterward."

The incident has spurred international condemnation, with political analysts and lawmakers saying it was indicative of an increasingly febrile political climate across the continent.

Slovakia has seen polarized political debate in recent years.

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova spoke to reporters on Thursday.

"What happened yesterday was an individual act. But the tense atmosphere of hatred was our collective work. Today, the newly elected president and I agreed to jointly invite the leaders of all parliamentary political parties to the presidential palace with the sole aim of calming the situation and rejecting violence."

The incident has raised questions over Fico's security arrangements. The prime minister was accompanied by several bodyguards.

There has been no official confirmation of the gunman's identity and background.

But Slovak news media reported that the 71-year-old suspect was a former security guard at a shopping mall.

An undated social media post by the alleged attacker was critical of government decisions and policy.

Reuters verified the person in the video matched images of the man arrested after the shooting.

Since returning for the fourth time as prime minister last October, Fico has shifted policy quickly.

His government has scaled back support for Ukraine while opening dialog with Russia.

And he has long been critical of Slovakia's mainstream media, refusing to speak to some outlets.